Join us LIVE at 1pm EST @janomehq Instagram page every Wednesday afternoon for our series, “Janome’s Magical Machine Mystery Tour” as we highlight a different machine in the Janome line. From entry level to Top of the Line; embroidery machines; longarm quilting machines; sergers and MORE, including some fabulous partner products to compliment those machines!
What machine and Janome goodies will we talk about this week? It’s a MYSTERY so you must tune in each week for the big reveal! Don’t worry if you can’t make the LIVE presentation, though. They’ll be stored in the IGTV icon on the Janome HQ Instagram Page and later posted as videos on the Janome HQ You Tube channel.
Follow us on the Janome HQ Facebook page and click on link HERE for more information on our NEW ONLINE classes!
Write me at Classes@Janome-Canada.com (copy and paste in a new browser) for more information about eventual on-site classes (when it’s safe) at The Janome Sewing and Learning Centre in Oakville, ON; Janome Canada’s Head Quarters.
As announced last week, Janome Canada is excited to once again offer a FREE trial of the very fun, and versatile Artistic Digitizer software for the month of May, 2021. Pre-Registration is now OPEN until May 15th, so don’t delay to sign-up!
Artistic Digitizer expands your embroidery capabilities, and is the ideal software for all skill levels; beginner, intermediate and advanced. YOU have complete creative control every step of the way.
Be sure to check out previous posts on Janome Life to see some of the fun projects and techniques our Janome Canada educators and Artisans have featured using Artistic Digitizer. “Follow” us so you don’t miss a post!
You’ll definitely want to join the Janome Artistic Digitizer Facebook group, as well. There you will find videos and tons of PDF files you may print out to follow along step-by-step while using the software on your computer. Stop, Pause, Rewind and watch the videos as often as you wish! Anne Hein, Janome America’s Embroidery Software Specialist, also does regular weekly LIVE presentations, so you’ll have guidance using the program even before the FREE trial starts May 1st, 2021.
the FREE trial starts May 1st, 2021, so sign-up today!
AND! Janomegirl (aka Erin) will be offering ONLINE Artistic Digitizer classes #1, #2 and #3 throughout the month of May, so you’ll have even more opportunity to see what this amazing software can do before the free trial ends. Details about the classes will be posted here on Janome Life and through our Janome Canada dealers, so stay tuned!
Sign up HERE for your Pre-Registration of the FREE Artistic Digitizer trial. Codes to access the software will be sent at a later date and you will not have access to the software until the free trial starts, but with the way the time is flying by these days, it’ll be here before you know it! Sign up today!
For many of us, Saturday is terrific day to catch up on some sewing. If you’re a regular follower of Janome Life, you’ll know that for the last several months; probably close to a year, we’ve featured a “Saturday Sewing” project every week.
For many of us, though, Saturdays are also our day to catch up on chores around the house, including the dreaded….cleaning the sewing room! AAHH! It strikes fear in the hearts of many, but I hope I haven’t lost you all! lol! Instead, I hope to inspire you all!
A few weeks ago, we announced a very special partnership between Janome Canada and a wonderful Canadian charitable organization, I Love First Peoples (ILFP) who’s mandate is to empower Indigenous children and youth through education and creative expression.
Janome Canada is donating many brand new Janome 2030 QDC-B sewing machines as part of the ILFP’s Sew and Sew program. but we need YOUR help in collecting all the little goodies every sewist needs to create.
Janome 2030 QDC-B machine
You know, pins, needles, tape measures – the ever essential seam ripper! Many of us have multiples of these items – I have 5 seam rippers – Why? How? I can only use one at a time, so I’m keeping one and donating the rest. While you’re cleaning your sewing room this weekend, instead of trying to stuff more scraps into the drawer, or bin, for example, how about making some space by donating them instead?
Below is a list of items we’re hoping to collect and ship with the machines so every young budding sewist has the tools they need to get sewing right away! A sewing machine without thread, needles and fabric, is like a car without gasoline and tires, so please help us share the love of sewing by donating any new or gently used sewing-related items.
Donations will be accepted at our Janome Canada office, The Janome Sewing and Learning Centre in Oakville, ON, and at our fabulous Janome Dealers listed below until May 31st, 2021.
Alliston Sewing Machine Service 122 Cunningham Dr. Alliston, Ontario (705) 435-9888
The Sewing Cafe 118 Mill Street Georgetown, Ontario TheSewingCafe.ca
Triangle Sewing Centre 386 Woolwich Street Guelph, Ontario TriangleSewing.com
Check out our Janome Canada website for more information about the donation drive and to read more about the I Love First Peoples organization and initiative click HERE.
Did you know that you can upload your own photos to display on your Janome Continental M7? Yes, you can and I want to walk you through this process so you can personalize your own Janome Continental M7.
When you purchased your Janome Continental M7, it came with 2 CD’s. One of these, the PC Application Pack one is the one that you’ll need to install the Screen Saver Tool software which you’ll need to get those photos into your Janome M7.
This software runs on a PC, so if you are using a Mac, you’ll need to use software such as Parallels to “read” the disc.
You’ll also need a CD drive to use the disc so if you don’t have one on your computer or laptop, you’ll need to use an external disc drive.
One more thing you’ll need is a USB stick as you will transfer the files from your computer to your Janome Continental M7 by using this device.
Still with me? Good! Put the PC Application Pack disc in your disc drive and double-click on the disc when you locate it on your computer. This will open the disc and it will look like this:
You’ll notice that there are 3 programs on the disc: Quilt Block Advisor, Stitch Composer, and, the one we will be using, Screen Saver Tool. Double click on the “setup” icon to start installing this software. You’ll see the Install Launcher and will then choose “Install ScreenSaverTool” to start the installation process.
Once the Screen Saver Tool software is installed and you’ve double-clicked it to open, you will see the following screen.
With this software, you’ll be able to choose up to 5 photos to transfer to your Janome Continental M7. These images/photos will be the ones that will appear when your Janome M7 goes into “standby” mode. If you don’t know what “standby” mode is, it’s like sleep mode on your computer or laptop. This happens when you haven’t touched anything on the machine for a specified period of time. You’ll notice that the lights go off and the screen on the Janome Continental M7 starts displaying photos.
You’re able to adjust the standby timer in the Machine Settings menu on the Janome Continental M7 and you can find out how to do this in your Janome Continental M7 manual in the “Machine Settings” area (page 125 in my manual).
As you upload (open) each photo in the Screen Saver Tool software, you’ll see a coloured bar for each one of them as below.
While each photo is automatically set to display for 5 seconds, you can adjust this in the Screen Saver Tool program.
Once you’ve uploaded all of your photos, you need to write these onto a USB stick in preparation for transferring to the Janome Continental M7 and once that’s done, you can eject the USB stick and it’s then on to installing these images in your Janome M7.
This is very simple to do: go into page 5 in the Machine Settings menu and click on the sewing machine icon in the “Import/Delete” area. That’s it! Now the images you uploaded onto the USB stick will be transferring into the Janome M7’s memory and the next time your machine goes into standby mode…
you’ll see your own photos!
This is a brief overview of this procedure. Click below for a video with step-by-step instructions on using the Screen Saver Tool software with your Janome Continental M7.
Happy creating from Kim Jamieson-Hirst of Chatterbox Quilts, a Janome Canada Artisan in Calgary, Alberta.
Janome North America is once again offering a FREEtrial of the amazing Artistic Digitizer software for the month of May, 2021!
TODAY kicks off PRE-REGISTRATION; from now until May 15, 2021, so don’t delay to sign up! Click on the link HERE
Pre-Registration from April 15 – April 30, 2021
This is a Pre-Registration ONLY; the codes to the software will be sent later and you will not have access to the software until you receive the activation code.
If you’ve been on the fence about whether you need digitizing software to take your embroidery capabilities to the next level; if you fear it’ll be too much or too difficult to learn, then NOW is the perfect time to get your feet wet! Click on the link HERE for some of the support videos you’ll have to guide you step by step using the software.
Who doesn’t love a bit of bling?! Crystals is just ONE of the many techniques possible using the Artistic Digitizer software
Be sure to check out previous posts on Janome Life for some of the fun projects and techniques you can do with the Artistic Digitizer software. And, don’t worry about which embroidery machine you have, which model, or even by which manufacturer – the Artistic Digitizer program is compatible with practically all of them; including the Janome Artistic Edge Cutter.
MAC users will rejoice to learn that the Artistic Digitizer software was built on the MAC platform, so it’s compatible with BOTH Windows and MAC operating systems! Another bonus is that the software can be loaded onto multiple computers; there’s no dongle to break or to loose! Only one device can be logged into the software at one time, however, but it’s so easy to log in and log out with the security key built-in to the software.
Images courtesy of Google
Built-in HELP is a click away! Not only is the Instruction Manual built-in to the software, and is printable if you choose, there’s over a hundred video tutorials right on the welcome screen!
More great resources for learning at your finger tips by joining the Janome Artistic Digitizer Facebook group. Anne Hein, Janome America Software Specialist has been the “go to” expert since the start of the pandemic last year, with regular LIVE presentations on Artistic Digitizer, all of which are available for review at your leisure. Play, Pause, Rewind, and Stop as needed to follow along step-by-step.
Janome Canada has also been running ONLINE Artistic Digitizer classes through out the year, so you can be sure we’ll be offering them again while the free trial is on through the month of May. Details will follow through our Janome Canada dealers and will be posted here on Janome Life, so be sure to “Follow” us so you don’t miss a post!
Pre-Registration ends May 15th, 2021 so HURRY to SIGN-UP TODAY!
Press your quilt top. Turn your quilt top over and make sure the seams lie flat; your iron is your best friend. If you have fullness, you can also spray starch the area and iron that section as this may help shrink, or ease in that section.
Is the quilt top square? Measure the center top to bottom. Then measure the outside edges. If there is more than a ½ inch difference, it is possible that your quilt will have puckers when quilted. Repeat the process horizontally. If the top is not flat or has fullness, the quilt cannot be pulled out. You can possibly take a couple of “darts” to remove some of the fullness if the design patterns allows this. However, this does not ensure that there won’t be puckering or tucks around the edges.
Check quilt top for any loose threads. Make sure there are no dark threads showing through lighter fabrics. If these threads are not trimmed, they will end up being quilted and they will show through on the front. If you have a border with piano keys for example, sew a basting stitch down the outside edges to prevent your seams from opening up.
If your quilt has a definite direction to it or you want one edge to be the top, pin a note to that edge. Do not add embellishments such as buttons, beads, ribbons to the quilt top prior to the quilting process as they may get in the way of the needle
The flatter the top is from the start, the better the quilting job will be. Did I mention your iron is your best friend? 100% cotton fabric is best. Decide if you want to pre-wash the fabric. If the top fabric was washed then you should wash the backing as well. Don’t forget to Iron.
Backing. If seams are necessary to get the back large enough, trim the selvage edge from the seams and press them open. It is easier to do this if the seams are sewn at 1/2 inch. The backing must be 4 to 6 inches larger than the quilt top. This allows space for the pinning process and for the layering that takes place. Make sure the back is trimmed and straight. If you are loading the back onto a long arm and the back has seams, it is always easiest to have the seams parallel with the bars when possible. The thickness of the seam allowance won’t build up around the rollers as they would if the seam was vertical.
Batting also needs to be 4 to 6 inches larger than the quilt top. Batting is one of those items that you “get what you pay for”. Beware, the cheaper the batting, the poorer the quality. The quality of a batting will have an effect on the finished quilt. We will be discussing all types of batting in a future post. Stay tuned.
Join us LIVE at 1pm EST @janomehq Instagram page every Wednesday afternoon for our series, “Janome’s Magical Machine Mystery Tour” as we highlight a different machine in the Janome line. From entry level to Top of the Line; embroidery machines; longarm quilting machines; sergers and MORE, including some fabulous partner products to compliment those machines!
What machine and Janome goodies will we talk about this week? It’s a MYSTERY so you must tune in each week for the big reveal! Don’t worry if you can’t make the LIVE presentation, though. They’ll be stored in the IGTV icon on the Janome HQ Instagram Page and later posted as videos on the Janome HQ You Tube channel.
Follow us on the Janome HQ Facebook page and click on link HERE for more information on our NEW ONLINE classes!
Write me at Classes@Janome-Canada.com (copy and paste in a new browser) for more information about eventual on-site classes (when it’s safe) at The Janome Sewing and Learning Centre in Oakville, ON; Janome Canada’s Head Quarters.
How do I quilt this beautiful quilt top I’ve just spent hours sewing? This is a very common dilemma most quilters find themselves in.
Here are a few questions you should ask yourself before you get started.
Is this quilt going to be washed like a baby’s quilt or is it for show?
A quilt that will be used quite a bit can have an edge-to-edge design that is not super tight. A baby’s quilt should be loose and fluffy. A quilt that is for show or display could have more quilting and even custom work like ruler or ditch work and custom block designs.
What kind of design do I quilt?
I like to draw from the fabrics used in the quilt. If the quilt has lots of flowers and leaves, I will try to match the same design elements in the quilting. In the picture below of the winter quilt with snowflakes. If the quilt is modern and has modern fabrics, I probably would not do feathers or traditional quilting. Geometrics are great option for modern quilts, but be careful if the design has to match perfectly when rolling the quilt.
When do I use filler designs?
Fillers are perfect design to use around appliqués pieces. Fillers around appliqués will make the appliqué pop. Filler designs are also fun to use in negative spaces where you will see the designs.
Should I do custom work all over my quilt?
If the fabric has a very busy print, it doesn’t matter how much custom quilting you do – you will not see all the work you put into the quilt. You will be wasting a lot of time and effort quilting something you won’t be able to see. Save your custom quilting for that special quilt that has lots of negative space. For middle ground, you may want to consider doing custom work on the borders and an all over design in the centre of the quilt.
How many colours of thread do I use on one quilt?
That totally depends on the quilting designs you are using. I would only use more than one colour if I am doing custom work on a quilt. You may opt for a grey that will blend well with all the colours.
I will change colours if the quilt has very distinct colours, like white and black. I would use white on white and black on black. But, if for example the quilt is black and white and I am doing an all over design and must only use one colour of thread, I will always opt for the lighter thread, in this case white. I would never use black thread on a black and white quilt. Same goes for a navy and yellow quilt, I would use a yellow thread in this case. My bobbin thread always matches the top thread in colour. This helps with tension issues as well.
Where can I get inspiration of what to quilt?
The best place to get inspiration is on the many social media sites, quilt shows, your local quilt guild, your friends and more.
I’m a firm believer that you can never have too much celebration bunting. I’m also a believer that this bunting does not need to be saved for special occasions. Every day should be a celebrated! I needed some new spring bunting to add some new colour and whimsy around my house so I whipped up this new scallop bunting using two amazing Janome accessories. These accessories made this project so quickly and easily that I ended up making twice as much bunting as I planned!
For this project, I pulled out my ‘I Love my Janome’ thread tin. I wanted to use some of the beautiful Hilos Iris Polyester thread. Polyester thread holds up better to UV exposure and moisture. If I leave my buntings outside for too long, the Polyester thread is going to hold up better and longer than cotton thread.
I selected a variety of fabrics for my bunting and then cut them to be approx 1” bigger than I wanted my finished scallop. You need 2 layers of fabric for each scallop with right sides facing. I used the Janome Circular Sewing Attachment to sew only half a circle although you could choose to make full circles at this point and then cut them in half. I folded my fabric in half along the long edge to find the middle.
After attaching my Circular Attachment to my machine, I carefully put my fabric on to the pokey pin approximately 1cm from the top along the marked middle line.
Using the lock lever and slider, I selected the radius that worked for my pre-cut fabric. Then I went to town sewing my scallops! This is a great time to use the auto-pivot function on your machine if it has it. This allows you to stop with the needle down and the foot will raise automatically. You could also use the knee lifter to raise the presser foot, as well, if your machine is compatible to use one. Stopping periodically while sewing your half circles and lifting the foot helps relieve any drag that may happen, giving you a nice smooth circle.
Once I sewed all my circles, I used my rotary cutter to carefully cut out the circles approximately 2cm from the sewn line. I flipped them inside out, smoothed out the edge and gave them a press. Using the Janome Circular Sewing Attachment again. move the slider in approximately 1cm to easily top stitch around the scallop. This step isn’t absolutely necessary but it gives your scallops a really nice finished look.
Now it was time to attach all my scallops all together! For this I used the Janome Taping Guide Foot which makes attaching the scallops to the double fold bias tape super easy. The Taping Guide Foot can use tape up to 20mm wide! You can use pre-made tape or make your own. I’m using leftover quilt binding that I refolded into double fold tape.
To use this foot I first feed the binding through the clear plastic guide and use the screw to tighten the binding into place. Then, I attach it to the machine. I made adjustments to my needle position so that it was sewing close to the open edge of the binding. I sewed a few inches without any scallops first so I could use this to secure the bunting when hanging.
I carefully inserted my bunting between the binding and between the plastic guide and continued to sew. Leaving approx 2 cm between scallops, I continued to add until I was happy with the length. Then I sewed the binding together to match the length at the beginning.
Just like that the bunting is made! The Janome Circular Attachment and the Janome Taping Guide Foot really made this project quick and easy.
Contact your local Janome Dealer today to find out how to get your very own Janome Circular Sewing Attachment, Janome Taping Guide Foot AND I Love my Janome thread tin!
A blind hem is exactly what it sounds like: a hem with stitches you can barely see. It’s perfect for window coverings, the hem at the bottom of a garment, or anywhere you want a clean finished edge. For many people, especially those just starting their sewing journey, attaining a perfect blind hem can seem like finding the Holy Grail. Here’s the secret: practice it a few times and you realize it is actually quite easy. Read on for Sew4Home’s step by step tutorial.
First, you will need a blind hem foot. This is a special foot that comes standard with most Janome machines. The foot shown below is the 9mm Blind Hem foot that came with the Janome Skyline S7. Your presser foot version might be slightly different depending on the model of your sewing machine.
Notice the black part in the middle of the foot (it may not be black on your machine’s foot). It’s called a “flange.” The flange acts as a guide. It will rest against the folded edge of the fabric as you sew, allowing you to maintain a straight seam and make sure the space between the main stitches and the blind stitches is accurate.
Fold and press a simple hem
Figure out how big of a hem you need to get the finished length you want. Most people prefer to err on the side of narrow over wide so there’s less bulk to the folded fabric and the hem will lay nice and flat. In fact, it’s often better to trim your fabric just a bit rather than make a giant hem.
Let’s say you have 2″ to work with. First, fold back the raw edge ¾”. Then, fold back an additional 1¼”. The first fold rolls inside the second and you end up with a nice folded edge along both the top and bottom.
Press the hem.
Pin the hem
Notice of the position of the pins in the photos below. It is much easier if you place the pins with their heads facing toward your main fabric – away from the hem’s bottom edge.
At the machine
Take the project to your machine. It should be wrong side up, showing that nice folded hem you just made, and pinned in place.
Make sure the blind hem foot is attached and the machine set to make a blind hem stitch. Refer to your machine’s manual to confirm the foot and the stitch number.
Place the hemmed fabric on the bed of the machine so the bottom folded edge of the hem is facing the foot and the heads of the pins are facing away from the foot.
Tuck the hem under the wrong side of the main fabric, leaving about a ¼” of the hem’s edge sticking out. The heads of the pins will now be pointing toward the foot.
Slide your fabric under the blind hem foot so the flange is resting against the folded edge of the main fabric.
When the needle drops it will be sewing mostly into that ¼” of the hem’s edge that is sticking out while catching just a tiny bit of the main fabric.
Continue sewing along the entire hem, keeping the flange against the fold of the main fabric.
When complete, the bulk of the stitches will fall along the hem’s edge and every third stitch or so will catch in the main fabric.
Open the hem to straighten the seam, gently stretching the hemmed stitches so they lay flat. Press well.
NOTE: We used a contrasting thread for these instructions so you could see the work. You’ll want to choose a thread color that matches your fabric so the stitches on the front will barely be visible.
You can adjust stitch length if you want fewer or more stitches catching the main fabric.
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